Improvement in reversible knob-latches



w. EQSPARKS; REVERSIBLE KNOB LATCH. No. 190,162. Patente@ NW1. 1877'.

, f MQW m1557515. FHOTO-UYHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

WILLIAM E. sPARKsfE.NEWFBRITAIN, coNNEcTIoUT, v'.ASSLGNOBT0-1 8,

EfcoRBiIN, oFfsAMEHfBLAoEn f IMPROVEMENT IN REVERSIBLE KNOB-LATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,162, dated May 1, 1877 application led March 17, 1877.

To allwhom it may concern Beit known that I, WILLIAM ESPARKS, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful'mprovements in Reversible Latches, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of the combination of the slotted hub with the slotted plate, having V-shaped depressions in the side walls, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a latch which embodies my invention, the same being represented with one-half of the case removed in order to better show the parts. Fig. 2 is' a horizontal section of the same taken on line a: m of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached views of the hub of said latch; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detached views of parts. of said latch.

A designates the latch-bolt, rounded and headed at its inner end, substantially as in ordinary reversible latches. The head at the end forms one shoulder, and between this and the square part of the bolt A there is another shoulder, a. B designates the yokeor horseshoe, as it is called, the arms of which rest upon one side or plate, C, of the case, as shown.

The front end of the yoke B has a U-shaped bridge, b, open at the rear, as clearly shown by the end view of said yoke in Fig. 7. The width vof the bridge from right to left is such as to ll the space between the shoulders on the rounded part of the bolt A, as shown, the solid portion of the bridge extending over the latch-bolt upon the side opposite the plate C,

which the arms of the yoke rest uponthat is, the U-shaped bridge has the bottom of the U opposite the bearing-surface of the yoke,

'which rests upon the plate G.

By this construction of the yoke, bridge, and latch-bolt, these parts not only necessarily move together, but `a very firm connection for a swivel-joint is formed, and when the front plate of the case is removed, as shown, the parts are not liable to become accidentally detached.

D designates the hub, having bearings c c at each end, which take into the two side plates of the latch-case. Through the center of the hub D, as in `ordinary latch-hubs, there is a square cavity to receive the ordinary knob-spindle. The middle portion of the hub D, upon two opposite sides, is slotted, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, which slots or openings connect with the square cavity made lengthwise through the hub at two of the corners thereof, one of which connecting-openings is shown at d, Fig. 2. p

Fig. 3 is an end view of the hub, the broken lines in which gure indicate the depth of the slots, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the hub as viewed from the rear edge of the latch.

E designates a slotted plate, bearing arms e e, which engage with lugs ff of the yoke B. In the opposite side walls of the slot, in the plate E, there are V-shaped depressions, as shown by the detached side view of said plate in Fig. 5; Fig. 6 shows an edge View of said plate. I

The hub D isA slipped into the slot of the plate E, the latter resting in the slots in the sides of the hub, and the hub and plate placed in proper position in the case, as shown in`Fig. 1. One arm of the spring g, bearing upon the front edge of the plate E, keeps the plate pressed rmly against the hub and holds said plate iuplace. The other arm of said spring actuates the tumblers on the lock-bolt.

The length of the slot in the plate is such in relation to the V-shaped depressions and the hub, that when the hub and plate are forced together by the spring g, the V-shaped depressions will coincide with two corners of the square cavity through the hub. A spring, h, continuallypresses upon the latch-bolt A to project it from the case.

Before the insertion of the knob-spindle the latch-bolt A, yoke B, and plate E may all be drawn forward to reverse the latch in the ordinary manner, when the spring g will return said parts to the position shown in Fig.1. A

lug, m, on the plate E engages with a lug, n,

on the plate O of the case, and prevents the plate, yoke, and latch from being drawn forward farther than required to reverse the When the knob-spindle is inserted in the hub, two corners of it engage with the V- l f vent itfrom being moved forward, while the described, in combination with the slotted plate E, having V-shaped depressions in the -side walls of the slot, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM E. SPARKS. Witnesses:

CHARLES PEOK, E. L. P31013. 

